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Spotlight falls on Brazil’s green city

Curitiba showed its credentials as Brazil’s most environmentally friendly city on Tuesday as it played host to a delegation of representatives from FIFA, the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ LOC Management Board and the Brazilian government.

The city showcased its sustainability initiatives, many of which are already an integral part of the everyday lives of its people, such as the green bus service, which is powered by electricity and biofuels. The visiting delegation also inspected a number of urban mobility projects that are now up and running, and stopped off at the Arena da Baixada, which will stage games at the FIFA World Cup in 2014.

Afterwards, the various members of the delegation had this to say:

FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke
Sustainability is essential when you stage the World Cup or the Olympics. We need to take care of the planet and we can’t just think about ourselves: we have to think about the rest of the world. We have to organise a green World Cup and compensate for carbon emissions, and we need to have rainwater-collection systems in place, for example. The stadium in Curitiba has been fitted with solar panels that generate electricity both for itself and the city, and FIFA is constructing a building along these lines.

We were told today that the stadium is on the right track and right on schedule, and we were also given information on funding. This is the type of stadium I like as you really feel that you’re close to the action. The retractable roof is also a good investment for the future.

We know that the stadium will have a capacity of 45,000 and that it can stage certain types of games. The important thing is that it will have a life after the World Cup, hosting other tournaments and other teams. There will be more national teams at the 2014 World Cup than in 1950, and the requirements have changed too. The name of the game is still the same, but the way it is played is totally different now, and we have to make every resource available to players.

The Arena da Baixada is being built for the World Cup and will be delivered in time for the test events. The lead times are perfect and the schedule is being met. There is enough time left to complete the construction work, and we should deal with obstacles only when they arise, not before. Curitiba is green for go.

Brazilian Minister of Sport Aldo RebeloThe faith I have in unveiling Brazil and the state of Parana is rooted in the life and the history of our country. As I always say, we are very honoured to be staging the World Cup and the Olympics, though they are not the biggest or the most important challenges we are facing. Building the city that stands before us today was an even more difficult task, for example. We hosted a World Cup in the city in 1950 in far more adverse conditions. The World Cup doesn’t involve any mystery or secrets but an awful lot of hard work. FIFA has organised the World Cup since it came into existence and this is the 20th in all. We have to be alert to everything that is needed to stage the event, and we are confident that we will meet the expectations of the world and Brazil when we come to stage the competition.

2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ LOC Management Board member Ronaldo
We are delighted with what we’ve seen here. We’ve noticed that an awful lot has been done and some great work has gone into the stadium. Apparently I was the first player to score a goal here with the Brazil team. I remain confident that we’re going to put on a great World Cup.

2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil LOC Management Board member Bebeto
The stadium was fantastic as it was and now it’s going to look even better. I’d also like to congratulate Atletico Paranaense (the stadium owners) for their promotion to Brazil’s Serie A. I was happy about that because the pitch is going to be of the very highest quality here, which is what we’ve asked for at all the other stadiums. I’ve always liked this stadium, and I’m delighted.